Hassel With Hlessi
by Kixstana Boxin
Summary: After the battle...Before Hazel's last run. There were three. Chaos, lies, Romance...It's all here. Just for a good bedtime story, eh? A dive into the world of Lapine, and thier struggles. Slightly Alternate Universe, but not to much.


Okay, I saw the movie first...wanted to learn more about it, and read the book. Both were awsome, and didn't dissapoint. I know a lot of people write stories, or Poems for Watership Down for school. I would simply like to point out that this is of my own free will, simply because I like the Lapine World. It sounds interesting.

Disclaimer: Poppyseed, Willow, Redwood...all mine. The original rabbits, from the book and move DO NOT belong to me.

* * *

A slim form broke the beams of sunlight that fell through the slim branches of a tree. It was mid-afternoon, ni-frith if you will. The figure was obviously Lapine, two erect ears twisting and turning in the light, creating shadows that danced upon the ground. But what may have been odd, was that when the sun was high, it was usually a time for resting, sleeping.

Not this frantic rabbit. Whiskers never still, nose twitching and ears swiveling, the figure practically screamed anxiety. It was soon joined by another, somewhat larger, though not by much.

"…Poppyseed?" It queried. The voice was of one who was whispering, soft, the tone somewhat uneven. "Have you gone Tharn, doe?" The question in itself was teasing, though lightly. Like that of a relative or close friend.

Poppyseed, as she was now revealed as, reared back up on her strong legs, front paws dangling some. "…Others."

"Hm?" The second figure, who hadn't seemed to be paying attention, finally decided to give the smaller rabbit a bit more notice. "You mean…others of our kind?" A pause. "…Hlessi?"

She looked back, nose a flurry of movement, "Oh no, Willow-Rah." It was as if that statement alone was a blessing and a curse. With the way the slim doe spoke…it was as if she wanted to go and meet these newcomers, yet knew that it could cost the doe's life.

"Hush, Poppy." Willow spoke, rising on a pair of strong hind legs to scan the area once, before touching noses with the smaller Lapine. "I am no Chief Rabbit."

"Oh, but you are! You are!"

Willow's voice was more anxious, "Hush I say! Don't let Redwood catch you saying that. You'll be cuffed for sure."

"I don't care!" Poppyseed declared, front paws shaking in front of her earnestly, "I will follow you to the Black Rabbit of Inle's Warren if I must!" Her voice rose, shattering the serenity that had befallen the brush that they were in. "He had no right! No right-"

"No right to what, Poppy-Roo?" Usually said in an affectionate tone, it was said with a professional air. A larger rabbit lopped into their midst, obviously a buck by his girth which was mostly made up of muscles. He repeated his question, a strange edge too it, "..No right to _what_?"

Willow managed to get in front of Poppyseed, as if protecting her from the buck, "Nothing, Redwood. She was speaking nonsense…she has slipped into Tharn a lot more as of late, you know." The excuse was expertly executed, flawless and without stutters.

"Ah. Yes…Don't worry Poppy-Roo," This time, genuine kindness rang within the buck's voice, touching noses with the small doe in front of him. "This is not a pilgrimage usually made with does." It was a demeaning statement.

As his nose brushed against hers, Poppyseed leapt back as if burned, cleaning her face, "Don't act as if we've mated!" For such a little one, she could sound fierce for her size, foot thumping in an aggressive warning. Though it was futile, even if they went as far as to battle, the buck would surely win by his size alone. "I have sensed Others!" she finally blurted out.

"Hlessi?" When Willow had asked the same question, it was full of apprehension and tension. It was different with Redwood. He seemed to want to stumble upon other nomad rabbits; perhaps because they had so much in common.

Poppyseed dashed away his hope, "No." She was pleased to do just that, a hidden fire flashing within her eyes as her voice gained strength. "I know dug in burrows when I sense it, Buck. Don't try to talk down to me." The doe let out a pathetic snarl that was merely a squeak.

He seemed amused by this, "And how do you know that they are not simply scratches?" His hope for fellow Hlessi was still going strong, despite what she said.

Willow had been surprisingly silent during this exchange, watching them in their verbal dispute. "You know Poppyseed is never wrong, Redwood."

"What?"

The rabbit tensed, "I mean…Redwood-Rah."

That sent Poppyseed into a flurry, "Oh! Oh! The nerve! Nerve!" she screeched, not a noise made by rabbits of their right minds, flailing and flopping around as if caught in a snare. She straitened, glaring at Redwood. "You can't lead us! At the beginning of this journey, I said Willow-Rah must but-" she was cut off, rolling backwards from the force of the cuff.

Redwood was livid, "Willow-Rah _this!_ Willow-Rah _that!" _He mocked voice unnaturally high all of a sudden; apparently, his opinion on what a doe sounded like. "I'm the biggest," He cuffed her for emphasis, "The strongest," Another cuff, "And the wisest!" The buck reared back for another blow to the already dizzy doe, but was dealt his own share of blows.

"Enough Redwood!" Willow had ignored his 'rightful' title, thinking that he didn't deserve to be called a Chief Rabbit. Not when he wasn't acting like a responsible one. "Leave poor Poppyseed alone!" Turning away, the rabbit inspected the small doe, noticing that the slim cuts weren't really that bad. "You'll be fine, Poppy-roo."

She was on the ground, splayed out on her side and panting. It was more out of fright than pain, and even that was sizzling away into nothingness. "…The Others.."

Righting himself, Redwood scoffed, "Not this again." Though he seemed through with the idea of beating on the little one.

Poppyseed didn't seem to hear him. "They're good. Kind. Need…our help." She whimpered, even when Willow gave a few soothing licks to her wounds. "They…have a kind leader," It sounded as if she were trying too convince herself, not them. "A good leader…many bucks." Her eyes shone, "Where kittens are born and raised, and are safe."

"They….don't absorb the kits?" Willow seemed fascinated with this concept; as if it were unheard of.

"Yes." She rose, shaking any loose grass from her fur, allowing it too fall smooth. "And I don't know about you, Redwood." Poppyseed practically spat, turning towards the large hill that she had been originally facing. "Or you, my Willow-Rah. Even if you don't join me, I'm going to go see them."

Willow was skeptical, "…Not now? Not at ni-frith!"

The doe looked back, hope shining in her almost abnormally large eyes, "…Yes. The sooner I reach them, the sooner we can live our lives. As rabbits should." She was exited, a dreamer caught up in an excellent fantasy. "With burrows! Yes!" Poppyseed almost sounded hysterical, laughing with joy and darting off. "I shall come back for you, my Willow-Rah!"

Being so small, the doe had the advantage of being extremely quick, and soon they could see her darting up the grassy knoll, stop, and then continue along her way.

"….You pushed her." Willow stated, watching the doe intently.

Redwood had been cleaning his ear, "Feh. She'll be dead by the 'morrow."

"Redwood!"

He stiffened, "What was that?"

Willow seemed to shrink, "I mean…Redwood-Rah…" Avoiding eyecontact seemed to avert his anger once more, though muttering could be heard from the 'submissive' one.

"You may speak." He continued to clean himself, a cocky air about him.

"We are no warren, but we still should look out for each other!" Willow argued.

Redwood scratched the ground boredly. He was tired, and his only remaining follower was just talking too much. "You know our laws. Hlessi of Hlessi? That's just foolish…She'll deserve too die." He yawned, front paws disappearing under his large chest that overlapped them as he lay.

Willow's eyes narrowed, before turning to follow Poppyseed until her figure was just too far away to follow any longer. "…Frith's Speed, Poppy-Rah." Before following Redwood's example, and sleeping within the safe brush of the woodland.


End file.
